Learning To Love
by MeandPizzatheOTP
Summary: "You've got a pretty face, 10," Cato leered, looking me up and down, and I shuddered in disgust. In two short strides, his lips were inches from my own. "You'll look even prettier covered in your own blood." Cato/OC


**Right, this will be a CatoxOC soon. I know I don't tend to finish stories if I don't see them going anywhere, but I swear i'll update this often, and I will finish it, as long as people are interested in it. Happy Reading!**

* * *

Cassandra was 10 years old when they took everything she had ever loved away from her.

The sun hung low on another scorching evening. The vast plains of dead grass and sand stretched as far as the eye could see, until it eventually met with the pretty pink sky above. Small, lonely clouds littered the sky, obstructing her view of the burning sun. A small, shaking form slumped under a Desert Willow, panting as another wave of warm air hit her face. The heat in District 10 had been unbearable that day, just as it had been the day before, just as it would be the next, and just as it was every god forsaken day in the livestock district.

The lands were desolate, save for the small girls lone, small, shambles of a home, located on a small plot of land that her father used to rear livestock. Her fathers smiling, sweaty face as he worked under the attack of the sun seemed a long way off in Cassandra's mind now. He had been sleeping in the barn for a few days now - Cassandra asked the heavens why he'd want to lay on top of that hay all day, not even stirring in his slumber to swat the flies that were landing on his limp form.

The girl had been in the barn just a few minutes earlier. "Daddy," she pleaded again. "Daddy, I'm hungry." His answer would have usually been something along the lines of 'Why hello Hungry, I'm Dad," and she would laugh, even though it was the hundredth time he'd cracked that joke, and then he'd go inside to make his daughter something to eat. For the past few days, however, Cassandra just been met with silence, and today was no different. Still, she continued, her small chest puffing out. At the time, The little brunette hadn't noticed that _his_ chest wasn't moving at all. "Daddy, get up. Stop sleeping, Daddy!" She nudged his form with a single Wellington-clad boot.

As she did, her fathers body jostled into another position, so he was propped up onto his side. The flies flew up from him for a moment in confusion, before settling back onto him. A smell wafted from him, an odour much worse than it had been for the previous few days. Cassandra wrinkled her freckle-dusted nose in disgust. "Ew, Daddy you smell funny ... You need to take a shower!" In her whole life, she'd never been so confused, so infuriated. Why wasn't he listening to her? _Stupid Daddy, just led there ... _"Get up!" Her voice had risen several octaves, until now it was a shrill shriek. She looked down upon his inanimate form and -

She screamed. Hundreds of small, wriggly things were burrowing into the flesh of his side. The ghastly white things were writhing all over each other. Maggots, glistening inside of the wound. Where did the wound come from? At the time, the 10 year old girl had never asked the question. "Stop it! Get up Daddy! There are crawlies on you!" Why wasn't he listening to her? She knew that if mother had been there, he would have listened to her. But her mother wasn't here - her father said she had gone to a better place years ago, and an innocent imagination had assumed it was District 4. _So many pretty fishies in District 4._

Cassandra Hadely had no idea when she'd started to cry, but she could feel the wetness sliding down her cheeks. _He doesn't love me like Mommy did. He'd get up if he loved me. Why doesn't Daddy love me?_

The little girl ran out of that barn, questions battering the inside of her skull, the pigtails that her father had done for her loose with wear (she'd had her pigtails in for about a week now) which brings us back to the Desert Willow.

_Breathe in. Breathe out. Stay strong now, Cassie. You're a big girl._

The emerald eyed pre-teen stayed in that position for a while, hugging her knees to her chest. Only when her throat burned in parchment did she finally come out of her daze, to realise that darkness had won over the land, the half moon high in the sky - though she did note that there had been less stars in the sky that night.

Everything was quiet - even the crickets that usually chirped and made the nights in the humble livestock district seem almost alive had silenced, and this silence was uncomfortable. Her form had slackened where she was sat, not finding the strength to get up. Her bones themselves were tired, and she knew that if she forced them into animation, they would carry her back to her father - or what once was her father. Her 10 year old brain was naive, and death was something she was not familiar with at the time. Ironic when she looks back on it now, as it was just this that ruined her life. Maybe if she knew what was happening, Cassandra would have run.

* * *

The sun was rising again when they found her.  
Four strangers clad in red leather. The only woman of the group stood forward. Her hair was scraped back into a bun, and her expression was unreadable, if not stony. Her rouged lips were chapped and tight, and she looked down at the little brunette with grey, stormy orbs. Cassandra took in her form with curiosity - the group looked nothing like the usual citizens of district 10. Her fingernails were red. "So, you found him."

Cassandra was taken back by her voice, void of emotion. Her cloudy eyes were piercing into her own emerald coloured irises like lasers, and it made Cassandra bridle. _Does she mean Daddy?_

And then Cassandra spoke up, trying to her voice had came out. She sounded weak, pathetic, and most definitely not in control of the situation she had gotten herself into.

"Darlin', he's gone." The woman let out a hollow laugh, like she'd seen this one too many times before.

"No he's not," she insisted, her irritation growing. "He's right in our barn, he is, I checked just last night. Just wake him up, and he'll tell you!" Her squeaky young voice yelled, cracking slightly, and not evoking any feelings in the lady in front of her. Her cat-like eyes narrowed.

The older brunette bent down to Cassandra's level, putting a red-clawed hand onto her shoulder. "That man ain't wakin' up any time soon, girl."

Why was she saying stuff like this? Cassandra's aggravation must have been evident on her face, because another adult stepped forward. Well, more like a young man, really. This hazel-eyed boy couldn't have been more than about 15 at the time.

He looked at Cassandra differently than the woman next to him had. Where she had remained indifferent, his expression was more of irritation. Then he turned to the older woman, and spoke with a twang that didn't sound quite like the one of District 10. "Stop teasing her, Scarlett." Now, he looked back to Cassandra. "Let's cut the crap. That body in there can't look after you now." Impatience roared on his face as sobs shook the small frame of the girl. "Don't do that!" He snapped. Cassandra held back more tears, sniffling. At this, his expression softened. "You can't cry where we're going, little girl. What's your name?"

Feeling numb to anything else other than fear, She managed to stutter out "C-Cassie, Sir."

The corners of his mouth upturned slightly. "My name's Felix. Come on, we're gonna take you to a better place."

Cassie looked down to her worn Wellington boots. "Are we going to go see Mommy?" Something changed in the pairs expressions.

"What?" Felix asked hesitantly. Mustering up more courage, the little girl answered him.

"Daddy said Mommy went to a better place when I was little, and that he'd take me to see her when I was a big girl. I'm a big girl now, right? I think she went to district 4, because they have pretty fishies in district 4." Cassie trailed off in thought. She looked into the older woman's eyes. "Mommy liked fishies." Cassie informed her, and something in her expression changed.

"Kill her now, please."

The woman begged Felix, her soft tone contrasting with her words. The little girl stiffened, as did the blonde haired boy in front of her. "Haven't you taken enough from her already? You can see she's not a victor, she's not like you! We can't put this one through it." Felix didn't respond. "FELIX!" She pleaded.

He paused. Then, finally, he gave her an answer. "No." The woman stood in front of Cassie, almost protectively, and began to protest, before Felix snarled aggressively, "We're taking her."

He gave the command to the others to shut the older woman up, before offering his hand to the girls smaller one. "Come on, kid." she took it instinctively. "We're leaving."

Muffling her sniffles, Cassie obeyed him. And with that, Cassandra Hadley was dead.

* * *

Cassie grinned when she felt a sickening crunch, as her small fist connected with the boys face underneath her. He squirmed, wriggling and writhing like a maggot, fear in his eyes. "Stop!" He breathed. They both knew it was to no avail, and Cassie _loved_ it.

Then she was picked up off of him, causing her to let out a growl in frustration. "I was going to win!" she sighed, glaring at the older boy on the floor holding his nose.

Felix held her back from jumping back into the fight. "You were going to kill him." He noted, his tone stoic.

An involuntary smirk lit up Cassie's face. "That's how you win in the hunger games, isn't it? Isn't that what I'm being trained for?"

She looked around the underground training centre that had been her home for the past 8 years. Dried flood stained the the small arena she had just occupied, along with the sticky bloody splatters of her last win. The place was dank, and it smelled of sweat and other bodily fluids. "You should'a just let me kill him." She muttered. "He's not even a contender. And he's kinda annoying, too."

For a man that was so sadistic in nature, Felix had never once let her kill an opponent - even though this academy systematically killed off everyone that didn't meet the requirements to be a contender.

Cassie Hadley had been brought to an academy - if you could call a home to train orphans to kill each other an 'academy'. Maybe District 10 had just had enough of being one a laughing stock, and when the 15 year old victor Felix Harding donated all his winnings into building an 'orphanage', no one asked any questions. He only took children of age 5 to 10 to grow up here, this would be the first year of 18 year old's that Felix would make volunteer. The lowly district had kept quiet about this place for 8 years, so it'd certainly be a surprise for the rest of Panem when they took home a victor this year.

"Well, he's 19 in a few days, and he's not volunteering, so I don't want him dying as he gets close to leaving this place. That'd just be unnecessary." He murmured into the smaller girls ear.

What had originally started as Felix restraining the wild animal was now an embrace. She turned around to put her arms around his neck. The 22 year old smirked down at her. "Oh, how generous of you, Felix. Plan on letting me leave one day?" She asked him playfully. Cassie was 17, only 2 months until she was 18, and under any other circumstance, she'd be out next year. However, they both knew she'd be put into the games this year, so she didn't have to go in on the quarter quell. Cassie was dangerous, deadly - but even though the glory of winning the quarter quell would be immense, she knew she might not even be eligible for it.

He gave her a peck on her lips. "You're leaving tomorrow baby, and if you come back I promise I won't rope you back here."

Her emerald eyes darkened as she giggled, and in one swift movement she pulled him closer. "Don't you mean when I get back, Felix? Because I _am_ coming back. My house in the victors village will be right next to yours, too."

People watching on glared at the pair, but no one would dare question the most recent victor of the Hunger Games from District 10, and the fiercest fighter in the academy, despite how wrong they thought this was. Even though there were only 5 years between Felix and Cassie, most of the people disapproved of their 'relationship'. Maybe it'd have been different if they were in love with each other. Cassie scoffed whenever she heard people reprimanding her. She wasn't sure either of then were even capable of feeling such an emotion, and she knew we were as close as people like us could get to being in love with each other. Lust was the closest to the real thing she'd let herself feel. He was just a way for her to release pent up emotions, and she was pretty sure it was the same for him.

The shrill, sharp ringing of the bell sounded, which meant it was time for lunch. She gave her 'boyfriend' one last fast, desperate kiss, before attempting to go find Scarlett. She told Cassie that she had something urgent to tell her earlier on, and Cassie knew she hated it when she was late. "Where are you going, Cass?" Felix asked her, grabbing hold of her hand. Cassie looked down at their entwined hands for a moment.

"To go see Scarlett, she said she needed to tell me something." She slowly untangled our fingers. "I'll meet you in the cafeteria in like half an hour, okay?"

Something unrecognisable registered over his face. "Can't it wait, babe?" When he saw the expression Cassie wore, he sighed. "Okay, fine ... I love you, you know."

Cassie left without a word.

* * *

"I volunteer!" Cassie snarled before their District Mentor could even breathe out the name of the chosen tribute - before anyone else from the academy could volunteer in her place.

Her agitated face was up on that big screen within a matter of seconds, and she looked almost impatient. Composing herself, she puffed out her chest and gave a small, cocky grin. Inside, however, all she wanted to do was murder Scarlett with her bare hands.

What Scarlett had wanted to inform her of was really kind of simple. She was going to try and take the games from her, give it to some unworthy girl named Jennifer or Janice or whatever the _fuck_ her name is. Not that it mattered now. Cassie wasn't going to just wait for the quarter quell. What if she was ineligible for the quarter quell? No, That would just not do. Cassie had been training for this moment for years, for almost half of her life - It was her only purpose. The one thing she had been brought up for. And she was not going to let it slip through her fingers.

"I volunteer." She repeated. She needed to make it clear that she was going into the Hunger Games. That it was her that was volunteering for this, that she was the one going to bring honour to her district, and _not _anyone else.

All the girls in the group they'd been herded into - much like cattle, Cassie noted- turned their heads towards her, with looks of shock on their faces, the normal population looking shocked just to have a volunteer, and then the orphans, the students at the academy. Cassie could see it on their faces - 'how could she do this? It wasn't her turn!' The girl that was originally going to Volunteer this year was clearly furious, but Cassie's eyes dared her to say anything. She didn't.

The grin on Cassie's face grew wider. That'd teach her. That'd teach Scarlett. They were maggots, the lot of them.

Her nails bit into the palm of her hand with excitement, making them feel raw. She shoved through the crowd when they didn't part for her at first, probably still in shock. Then finally they parted, and Cassie sauntered through, her head held high. Climbing up the stairs carefully as to avoid tripping, she stared down our escort, and watched as she shifted almost uncomfortably in her ridiculous brown coloured stilettos, making her matching assemble making a slight noise as the cow print ruffles rubbed against each other. She regained her composure quickly, before chirping "My my, what a pretty volunteer for District 10! What's your name, sweetie?"

Cassie forcefully took her hand, squeezing much harder than necessary, and smiled. "My name is Cassie Valentine." She'd changed her last name as soon as she had gotten to the academy - she was told that it'd help them let go of their old personalities easier.

Cassie sees her 'boyfriend' in the crowd. His curly blonde tresses had stuck to his forehead due to the heat, and his chocolate orbs were distraught. The man looked more like a scared little boy than a previous Victor as he looked up at her. Cassie cocked an eyebrow at him, mentally screaming at him to cut it out. There was no time for emotion now.

The District Mentor, Josie May, made her way to the male tributes ball, picking out another name, faster this time, it seemed. The Capitol woman couldn't even manage out a name before a brute of a man lunged forward to volunteer. His skin was tanned, despite him being inside the academy for the past 8 years, and his hair was the colour of sand. He bounded forward up to the stage like a happy puppy. "I volunteer! I volunteer!" He grinned as he got to Cassie. "My name is Russell Hadley, ma'am!" He stated proudly, before Josie May even had a chance to ask, playing up his southern drawl. Was his angle the loveable idiot or something? Cassie had never seen much of him at the academy.

She wondered how easy it'd be to kill him.

She made the pair shake hands, and his hand squeezed Cassies in a way that was almost reassuring. Why? Couldn't he see that Cassie was a killing machine? That she wanted this so badly that it hurt? In that moment, she really wanted to hate him.

She searched his eyes for any malice, but found nothing but warmth. His hold on her hand was firm yet gentle, as if he was afraid of hurting her. Cassie smiled despite herself, thoughts of killing him gone, but she still couldn't help but wonder if this was all a charade. No one from the academy even had the capacity to hold such warmth.

All of a sudden, they were being ushered into the Justice Building, the doors shutting behind us with a deafening boom, and for some reason, Cassie couldn't help but feel her stomach knot.

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**Okay it's a weird angle, but bare with me for like 3 chapters and you might like it:) so i'm kind of a review whore, please help me out ye?**

MeAndPizzaTheOTP


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